Discussions
Online Store - Reccomendations anyone?
Posted by DrRick • 6/03/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: shopping cart
Hey everyone! I have a question - I am looking into oscommerce as a free shopping cart provider. Basically I have an e-card site with my personally created cards, and I have just finished production of my newly designed printed cards, I want to showcase them for sale on my e-card site. Any reccomedations you all have would be greatly appreciated.
Rick
www.thestepcardcollection.com
User Comments
-
I love oscommerce so easy to use and its quite easy to customize.-
Thank you crkian -
-
Okay so now I REALLY need some advice here. My web guy tells me that in order for him to downloaded the oscommerce files and install the program on my server they require knowledge of php code and MySQL Database. I have an existing website built in PHP and I want to add an online store using the freeware provided by oscommerce. I feel like the guy is screwing around with me - he is paid by the hour. Accoring to what I understand this is a simple process. PLEASE HELP~!!!
-
so you have a web guy who cant do databases thats good
-
Hey Crkian,
No, the web guy can do databases - but why reinvent the wheel here, when you can download them for free - I am not thinking correct here? If I am off base here please tell me! And please know I have learned a great deal form this forum and greatly respect the replies! -
Why is he moaning about mysql and databases then
Create a database
add database info to oscommerce, or is that to hard for him/her
-
-
I've heard good things about oscommerce, but I've never used them. -
Okay so now I REALLY need some advice here. My web guy tells me that in order for him to downloaded the oscommerce files and install the program on my server they require knowledge of php code and MySQL Database. I have an existing website built in PHP and I want to add an online store using the freeware provided by oscommerce. I feel like the guy is screwing around with me - he is paid by the hour. Accoring to what I understand this is a simple process. PLEASE HELP~!!!
-
He's telling you the truth. You need MySQL for all the back end of the store to work - I'm sure a lot of the decent shopping carts need this, I know Zencart does. I can't help you with anything technical but basically if you want an online shop that's simpler than that mabe someone here might be able to help more. -
Thank you Truebird. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, I am of course sitting here counting the hours until he gets back to me, but your comment helps!
Rick
-
-
I use Zen Cart for one of the e-commerce sites I manage. It's like a distant cousin to OSCommerce. Both are really good for the price(free). It helps if you have some HTML and programming skills if you want to really customize it. I had to do some mods for shipping and pricing. I hear that Drupal has a decent cart(free as well). Depending on how many products you carry, the paypal shopping cart might be a direction to look. www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/xcl/rec/sc-intro-outside-
Thanks, MVT5150, I will have him check out the sites you mentioned. My web guy tells me that in order for him to download the oscommerce files and install the program on my server they require knowledge of php code and MySQL Database. I have an existing website built in PHP and I want to add an online store using the freeware provided by oscommerce or simular. I feel like the guy is screwing around with me - he is paid by the hour. Accoring to what I understand this is a simple process. PLEASE HELP~!!!
-
creating a shopping cart from scratch is pretty simple because it's a blank canvas. Trying make an existing site become e-commerce is a bit more intensive. If you do payal, it's pretty simple and shouldn't take too much. If you have a small catalog of items, this might be the way. But if you want to keep your original design and move to os, zen, drupal, etc..., you're looking at some costs to integrate it all.
To install oscommernce or zencart, you do have to download the install files but you don't need PHP knowledge to install, but you do need a MySQL DB. The install of the shopping cart is usually the easiest part. All the tweaking is where the fun begins.
-
-
I find your web guy a little over the top, he will have to do the same with zencart, drupal and any other besides paypal.
You or him need to create a database in your hosting account cpanel.
You then upload the files to the server in a folder called shop up some thing.
Then aim the web browser at yourdomain.com/shop/install directory address.
Add the details of the database there and follow the instructions
You have now installed the shopping cart
Have your web guy alter the layout or upload a template to use
If you paying him by the hour I hope its in peanuts-
"If you paying him by the hour I hope its in peanuts"
SNORT ... lol
-
-
I have to agree with crkian about your web guy moaning about creating a simple database, especially if your host uses cPanel. It couldn't be easier, and if he's moaning, or seems to think it's a difficult thing, it may be time to start looking for a new web guy...
Sorry for the rant, now back to your question, I've used several open source shopping carts, and for my needs, I found osCommerce to be the solution. One of the first sites I did is here goodfellasgames.com and it has stood the test of time without any major maintenance needed.
However, depending on your needs, any shopping cart software can get unwieldy, it all depends on how many features you want;) -
Okay guys - once again YOU ROCK! Crkian I am not paying him in peanuts, I wish! I failed to mention one thing - probably crucial - my website www.thestepcardcollection.com, is an e-card site, I purchased e-cardmax, an enterprise level program to run these card I have been personally making for the past 10 years. Now, I have just had these cards designed and printed and I wanted them available for sale on my website. Here is the most recent comment from my web guy. "I have no prior experience dealing with databases and server side code. I am willing to download the program and read the directions,but I will not be responsible for anything going wrong with the current database structure that resides on thestepcardcollection site. It is a big deal to start messing around with scripts and code from 3rd party programs and start to try and add them to our current e-card max program."
PEOPLE CAN THIS REALLY be this difficult? I am so confused and tired, I know I my request can not be this much of an issue.-
His statement seems honest and makes sense, keep giving him his peanuts;) However, you're right, that additional information is crucial. If your vision is to integrate the sale of these cards into your existing product descriptions, like adding a "buy printed card" link next to the current product listing, then you are asking for some custom hacking to the ecard program you purchased.
An easier solution for you and your web guy, would be to simply install osCommerce in a subdirectory of your site, something like "printed" or whatever, create the necessary database, and then link to that when you want to promote the printed cards.
This should also take away any fears that your web guy has about messing with the current databases. Of course, he'll have to take care not to accidentally delete it, but if he is worth one penny, he makes backups of EVERYTHING before starting to tweak stuff;)
Hope that helps...
p.s. You might want to think about a WordPress based blog. Sorry, I'm a WP evangelist, can't help it sometimes.
wordpressmodder.org -
"I have no prior experience dealing with databases and server side code. I am willing to download the program and read the directions,but I will not be responsible for anything going wrong with the current database structure that resides on thestepcardcollection site. It is a big deal to start messing around with scripts and code from 3rd party programs and start to try and add them to our current e-card max program."
I hadn't taken in that you already have a site up and running. To add a fully functioning cart to this may not be so simple, but with a bit of thought an experienced designer can figure out the structure. To be honest, it sounds like your website guy is in over his head. If he has no experience in dealing with databases and server side code he would probably have to work long hours just to set up a basic os commerce site, let alone integrating it and tweaking databases for an already existing site. At least he is being honest with you about this. I'd recommend finding a much more experienced designer who's hourly rates may cost more, but he/she'd get the work done faster, more efficiently, and you'd have a reliable site. -
With any host you get more than one mysql database so if you keep the install of them on two different databases that should stop your worries.
-
-
Yes i recommend and use oscommerce...very customisable... -
OSCommerce is a very simple, customizable shopping cart system that allows you to enter into the world of e-commerce with little effort.... IF your hosting provider has PHP / MySql capabilities. OSCommerce actually creates 99% of what you need to have to make it function on its own.
All your web guys has to do is create a database via the cpanel: He clicks on MySql Databases, creates one, adds a user and a password, saves it and is done. When you upload and install OScommerce, it takes care of creating the tables and filling in the sample data on its own. Then you go in - add some of your items, delete the sample data and get busy.
If your host does not have CPanel - you may want to look into other options. Our hosting environment goes one step further. We use Fantastico so when you decide you want a shopping cart, you click a button fill in a few fields and poof inside of 2 min it's there and you didn't have to pay a developer (aka web guy) to take care of anything.
Personally I prefer ZenCart (also free) as it has fewer vulnerabilities and a lot more options.
If I can be of any help - feel free to message me.-
As I understand it OSCommerce has several security issues that have not been addressed as there hasn't been any code development for over three years. Zen Cart is based on the original code but improved, secured and patched. I couldn't believe it when I heard that OSCommerce doesn't password protect the Admin section by default.
Anyway, installing, configuring and customising an ecommerce site, while not necessarily complicated (if you are keeping it standard) IS time consuming and a significant learning curve as you come to grips with whatever application you have chosen. Yes, it can be installed in less than half an hour but you do not have a functioning store at that stage. And as you probably expect the new store to be integrated with your existing site, this work could be quite significant too - depending on the level of integration.
Please don't underestimate the effort involved. There's more to an ecommerce store than the initial install.
It's well worth it though!
-
Add Your Comment
This discussion has been locked.
